Can we trust VIA to spend wisely the billions of local sales tax and federal grant dollars?
No. A 1997 TPPF performance analysis of VIA pointed out a $23 million bookkeeping discrepancy. VIA staff mislead the VIA Board and the public when it claimed to be losing $18 million per year when it was actually enjoying a $5 million net gain. Before the discrepancy was revealed, VIA raised bus fares 87.5%, driving 11 million annual riders off its system, voted to levy a new tax on phone bills, scheduled numerous future fare and tax increases, and instituted transfer fees. While never admitting fault, VIA canceled the phone tax, the future fare and tax increases, and lowered bus fares. The same analysis pointed out that VIA’s administrative costs were 49% above the industry benchmark and that VIA had excessive cash reserves equivalent to 108% of operating costs. Passage of the May 6 ballot measure will grant VIA rights to condemn private property and to manage a $3 billion construction project. Has it earned this trust?
